Detroit Free Press Lansing Bureau

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EAST LANSING — Security failures and persistent problems with a privatized contract with Aramark Correctional Services to provide food for prison inmates continues to dog Gov. Rick Snyder as he hits the speaking circuit and campaign trail.

The Aramark contract has been scrutinized by the state and Free Press in recent weeks for hundreds of documented problems ranging from food quality and quantity, to smuggling contraband to prisoners, to improper contact between kitchen workers and inmates. Just last week, four workers were fired for having consensual sexual contact with inmates.

Since the contract was approved seven months ago, more than 80 Aramark employees have been fired and banned from prison property for a variety of violations.

On Tuesday, addressing the media while attending Michigan State University’s annual Ag Expo, Snyder said a conclusion should be reached soon on whether the state will continue or alter its contract with Aramark to provide meal service to the state’s 43,000 prisoners.

The Michigan Department of Corrections has told Aramark that if it doesn’t shape up, it could lose the contract.

“We’re making a full review of that over the next week or two,” Snyder said. “We’re having lots of discussions with the department on that issue.”

Snyder’s talk also came the day after state Attorney General Bill Schuette issued a report on a February escape at the Ionia Correctional Facility, which recommended that the state reconsider its decision to leave guard towers empty and cut back on patrols of the perimeters of prisons. Snyder said he’s still reviewing the report.

“The guard towers haven’t been fully manned for a number of years,” Snyder said. “I don’t think that was the sole cause of the situation. There were also people failures and system failures.”

Michael David Elliot, who was serving life without parole for four murders in 1993, escaped the prison on Super Bowl Sunday. Since then, MDOC has been pro-active in addressing the problems, Snyder said.

“They created a group of wardens to go out and review the facilities,” he said. “And we’ve made additional investments in security procedures through the budget.”